LEWISBURG, Pa. – The No. 18 Navy water polo team (21-6) dropped a close 12-10 game to No. 15 Fordham (24-7) in the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Championship Game on Sunday afternoon at Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pa. on the campus of Bucknell. For his efforts over the weekend, freshman Kiefer Black was named Rookie of the Tournament, while Black, Caden Capobianco, and Aiden Day were each selected First Team All-Tournament. Additionally, Michael Heller was selected Second Team All-Tournament.
 
"I am disappointed for our players," head coach Luis Nicolao said after the game. "We thought we had a championship team and, honestly, I thought we played well enough to win. Hats off to Fordham. They played a great game and today was a great water polo game.
 
"I feel bad for our seniors. I know how much they have fought over the years to get us to this point today. They have helped lay the foundation of what Navy water polo is going to be for years to come. For all of the younger guys, I hope the memory of coming this close and coming up short motivates them to work that much harder so we can continue to have great seasons and play for championships."
 
Four Midshipmen found the back of the net, tallying 10 goals on the day. Kiefer Black led the way with four goals, while Heller, Sam Collingwood, and Holden Seybold finished with two scores apiece. Black tallied four of Navy's seven assists, while Day finished with two helpers and Ivan Pang added one.
 
Defensively, Capobianco registered a complete game at goal for the Midshipmen. The senior team captain finished with 11 saves on the day, closing out the tournament with 36 stops. Capobianco and Collingwood each recorded steals in the game against the Rams, while Collingwood paced the squad with three ejections drawn. Tommy McKnew, Henry Williams, Black, Day, and Heller also were credited with ejections drawn.
 
For the third time this season, Fordham jumped out to an early lead. The Navy defense was able to limit the Rams to just two early goals before Seybold cut the deficit in half, 2-1. The Rams responded with a goal, but back-to-back scores by Black and Collingwood knotted the game at three. Fordham was able to regain the lead, finishing the first period with a 4-3 advantage.
 
Navy took its first lead of the game in second quarter as Black completed his first-half hat trick with back-to-back goals to start the quarter. Fordham was able to tie the game at 5-5 as Capobianco came out of the cage to try to steal a ball, but came up just short, leaving the Rams an open net for the game-tying goal. The Midshipmen regained the lead on the following possession as Heller skipped a ball under the keeper's arm to put the Mids in front, 6-5. The Rams were able to score the equalizer and send the game into halftime knotted at 6-6.
 
In the third quarter, Fordham started the scoring to regain a one-goal advantage. The lead was short lived as Heller knotted the score at 7-7 and Black gave Navy its third lead of the game. The Rams evened the game with a score to send the game into the final quarter of regulation tied, 8-8.
 
Fordham started the fourth quarter with a goal, but Seybold countered with a game-tying score. The Rams notched back-to-back scores to take an 11-9 lead. Trailing by two, the Midshipmen had opportunities, but came up just short. Black hit the post, while Collingwood had his shot saved at point blank range. The following possession resulted in a turnover. The ensuing Fordham possession saw Capobianco leave the goal to give the Mids an extra defender. The Rams were able to break the coverage and score a goal on the empty net, giving the defending champions a 12-9 advantage. On Navy's possession Capobianco advanced the ball to give the Mids an extra offensive player. His shot was blocked, but Collingwood picked up the rebound and scored to pull Navy to within two, 12-10, but it would not be enough as time expired.
 
Navy has played in the MAWPC Championship 21 times in program history. The runner-up finish marks the 12th time that the Midshipmen have finished second in the conference tournament. It is the second time Navy has advanced to the Championship Game under Nicolao.
 
 
Tournament Schedule
Friday, Nov. 17
Game 1: (2) Navy 19, (7) Johns Hopkins 11
Game 2: (3) Bucknell 7, (6) Mount St. Mary's 7
Game 3: (4) Wagner 15, (5) George Washington 14
 
Saturday, Nov. 18
Game 4: (5) George Washington 16, (7) Johns Hopkins 8
Game 5: (1) Fordham 23, (4) Wagner 12
Game 6: (2) Navy 10, (3) Bucknell 9
Game 7: (7) Johns Hopkins 14, (6) Mount St. Mary's 13 (overtime)
 
Sunday, Nov. 19
Game 8: (5) George Washington 16, (6) Mount St. Mary's 12
Game 9: (3) Bucknell 10, (4) Wagner 7 (Third Place Game)
Game 10: (1) Fordham 12, (2) Navy 10 (Championship Game)
 
 
All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player: George Papanikolaou, Fordham
Rookie of the Tournament: Kiefer Black, Navy
Coach of the Tournament: Brian Bacharach, Fordham
 
First Team
Caden Capobianco (Goalie), Navy
Kiefer Black, Navy
Aiden Day, Navy
Jacob Parella, Fordham
George Papanikolaou, Fordham
Hasan Mogultay, Bucknell
Laszlo Strasser, Wagner
 
Second Team
Luca Castorina (Goalie), George Washington
Viktor Jovanovic, George Washington
Andrija Sekulic, George Washington
Luca Silvestri, Fordham
Chrysostomos Valvanis, Mount St. Mary's
Michael Heller, Navy
Kyle Chambers, Wagner